The Swannanoa Grassroots Alliance was formed in response to Hurricane Helene, beginning with neighbors providing immediate relief and later organizing to coordinate efforts and avoid duplication. Comprising local nonprofits, churches, small businesses, individuals, and aid organizations, the SGA has become a hub for addressing both immediate needs and long-term recovery.

The group emphasizes networking, problem-solving, and ensuring ongoing support for the community, which faced significant damage and loss. By collaborating with state, county, and federal officials to secure necessary resources, the Alliance aims to keep Swannanoa's recovery efforts visible and equitable.

Just a few days after the storm, several community members realized there was beginning to be some duplication of efforts, and they began to think about organizing information and operations. In the second week, about 15 individuals gathered outside the Swannanoa Fire Department, introduced themselves, and were offered future meeting space by Quility.

The organization is open to anyone interested in being involved in Swannanoa’s recovery, and though there are several regular attendees, there is no organizational hierarchy. The organization considers each of the more than 200 participants that attended a meeting during the months of October and November as members of the Alliance.

Initially meeting daily, the group now convenes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, focusing on removing obstacles and addressing community needs. These stand-up meetings consist of round-robin introductions, with participants sharing their affiliate businesses or organizations, what they’re working on, and any barriers they may be experiencing along their recovery journey. Next, the crowd transitions into smaller break-out groups where individuals are able to offer help, support, connections, and collaborations to help each other move forward.

“That’s been our basic concept from the beginning,” Scott said. “We are now specializing with additional meetings and efforts around housing, and we have a group that meets with the half a dozen or so relief organizations that are working in the area. There are some specialty efforts going on as we refine our process and get more efficient.”

“It’s those people coming together to work on those problems and solving them,” McCreary said. “People are problem solving with the people they can help. They find the problems, and they take it and they run. They solve the problem in that moment — it’s efficient and it’s fast, and I think that’s the beauty of how the meetings are run.”

As the needs of the community shift, the SGA is committed to focusing efforts where they can best be used. Their primary goals moving forward are to ensure Swannanoa remains in the public eye, and to ensure the community gets their share of needed resources. Forming alliances and collaborations while interacting with officials at all levels of government and as many organizations as they can, the SGA hopes to keep their community top of mind to continue fostering long-term recovery efforts. Maintaining these relationships will be a main topic of focus in the coming months. 

“As we move out of being as heavily occupied with immediate relief needs — the food and supplies, all of which is still important and being worked on — we’re also moving towards some of the longer-term needs that the community has,” Grogen said. “This is not a sprint, it’s a marathon, and it’s going to take a long time for the community to fully recover. We recognize that the needs are going to be ongoing, and we want to make sure that Swannanoa doesn’t drop out of people’s consciousness.”

A long-term recovery group is being established for Buncombe County. More than 150 people from across the county including members of SGA attended the inaugural meeting. Grogen said members plan to stay very involved in that to ensure Swannanoa is represented in that process, as that group will likely be a conduit for funding and other resources in the future.

“We’re going to evolve as the needs on the ground evolve,” Grogen said. “We want to be nimble and responsive to changing needs, and that will require us to change. This is our first catastrophic disaster of this nature, so we are figuring all of this out, but we foresee some form of Swannanoa Grassroots Alliance being around as long as it’s needed in our community to help us move forward and recover.”

Members of the SGA reach out to potential partners to maintain relationships and share the current status of the community. These partners include nonprofit organizations as well as government officials at the county, state, and federal levels. Members are writing letters to foster existing relationships as well as creating new relationships with representatives at the state levels and beyond.

“We just want to make sure our recovery moves forward as quickly and equitably as it can,” Grogen said. “It’s been a difficult time, but we’re really dedicated to seeing our community come back, and so is everybody who lives here.”

Partnering with MountainTrue and Appalachian Design Center, a combination of architects, designers, planners, engineers volunteer to assist communities and ensure community voices are heard through the planning process. With support from Buncombe County, Grogen hopes this effort serves as a model of resilient planning in the wake of a disaster to rebuild the community in a way that is stronger, safer, and healthier and more resistant to devastating impacts in the future.

The group is also reaching out to the business community to learn where they are with their own recovery efforts, identifying needs and helping forge connections to support the rebuilding of Swannanoa’s businesses. They are also working to learn which business owners have decided to relocate so they can help those businesses find new locations and identify businesses that may fill the vacated spaces. 

“We’re trying to gather information, see how we can support the business community, and see how the community at large can support our local businesses,” Grogen said. “Many, many of our businesses have been affected by this storm, and some of them in catastrophic ways. Continuing to support them and look out for them is a huge part of our long-term recovery.”

Visit SwannanoaGrassrootsAlliance.org to find updates, information, and local nonprofits with current lists of needs and volunteer opportunities.